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How did missile telemetry help verify the START I treaty?

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Strategic Arms Reduction Talks U.S. Pres. Barack Obama talking with Russian Pres. Dmitry Medvedev, just before the two leaders issued a joint statement about their continued cooperation on the New START Treaty, December 4, 2009.

Under the START I treaty, access to missile telemetry served as a critical verification measure. By providing details regarding the characteristics of missiles during flight tests, this data allowed the involved parties to monitor compliance with the treaty's limitations on nuclear delivery vehicles and warheads.1

This transparency was part of a broader, rigorous verification framework that included on-site inspections and permanent monitoring at the Russian mobile intercontinental ballistic missile factory at Votkinsk. These measures ensured that both the United States and the Soviet Union (and later Russia) could reliably confirm that their respective arsenals remained within the agreed-upon limits.1